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a·lem·bic

(ə-lĕmbĭk)

1. An apparatus consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, formerly used for distilling liquids.

2. A device that purifies or alters by a process comparable to distillation.

[Middle English alambic, from Old French, from Medieval Latin alembicus, from Arabic al-'inbīq : al-, the + 'inbīq, still (from Greek ambix, cup with a spout, alembic; possibly akin to Greek ambō, rim of a cup, and of pre-Greek substrate origin; for the suffix -ix, compare Greek kulix, broad shallow drinking cup with handles).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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